


Tesser Well

by Freezeurbrain



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Fantasy, How Do I Tag, OCs - Freeform, POV Original Female Character, Regina George cameo, Wrinkle in Time AU, ah well, i am a dumb bitch who has no self control, kleinsen is god tier, sci fi, this is a poor decision why am I publishing this now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2020-12-13 23:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21005918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freezeurbrain/pseuds/Freezeurbrain
Summary: Angela Kleinman’s father has been missing for four years now. She’s about given up hope that he will ever return. But one day, out of the blue, a mysterious stranger beckons Angela, her sister Gina, and their friend Jake on a daring adventure across the galaxy to find and rescue Angela’s father from the clutches of an evil being holding him captive. And one thing is for certain.There is such thing as a tesseract.





	1. Tesseract

**Author's Note:**

> And God said “This author is a dumb bitch who has no self control”

If there was one thing Angela had learned in her thirteen years, it was that there were two different kinds of moments in life- happy moments, and _extraordinary_ moments. Happy moments were small, commonplace, the ones that happened pretty much every day. A happy moment was getting ice cream after school, a hug from your best friend, or opening the book you’d read one hundred times before but still loved. Extraordinary moments were different. They were rare, special, the kind to savor when they came. Extraordinary moments didn’t happen often in Angela’s life. Not anymore. The last extraordinary moment she remembered had been almost four years ago. 

She’d been sitting in the garage with her father. It was a rainy day, but neither of them minded. Angela had been captivated by something her father was holding- a jade pendant, dangling from a silver chain. 

_”All right.”_ Her father had smiled, the warm and caring smile she loved. He spoke as if instructing her. _”Think good thoughts. The happiest ones you can. And then, when I count to three, let the good thoughts out into the air. Can you do that for me?”_

Angela had nodded. She had thought of her happiest memory, the one that made her smile the most. And when her father had said so, she’d exhaled as if letting the thought go out with the air. 

Her father had held up the pendant. _”I think that’s pretty, right?”_

Angela had smiled. _”It’s beautiful.”_

Her father had put the pendant around her neck and closed the clasp. _”That’s going to be a good luck charm for us today, okay?”_ The cold metal of the chain quickly warmed when it touched her skin, and Angela found herself touching the smooth jade with a smile. After a moment of pause, her father continued. _”So, are you ready to meet your new sister?”_

Angela had bitten her lip and looked up at her father. _”Do you think we’ll like each other? Like real sisters?”_

Her father had smiled softly, brushing one of Angela’s curls behind her ear and cupping her cheek in his hand. _”I think we’ll all love each other. Think, Angel, out of this whole wide universe, with all these brothers and sisters and moms and dads, we found each other. That’s pretty rare, right? That’s pretty cool. And love... it’s something beautiful, Angel. Even if you don’t feel it, it’s always there for you.”_

***

Angela woke up suddenly at the clap of thunder outside of her window. Her eyes shot open, heart pounding... then settling when she realized that it was just a storm. Turning over in bed, she clasped the jade pendant in her hand, trying to cling to the warm feeling from that dream. 

_Even if you don’t feel it, it’s always there._

Sighing, she sat up. The clock on her nightstand read 4:45 AM. She glanced out the window again- it was raining buckets, and there was no sign of it stopping anytime soon. She wouldn’t be getting back to sleep, not with this going on outside, anyways. With slow, purposeful movements, she got out of bed and made her way downstairs. If she was going to be kept up by this storm, she may as well make herself some hot cocoa so it wouldn’t be an entirely unpleasant experience. 

As she was walking down the hallway, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Light brown skin, a head of brown curls, and dark brown eyes. She didn’t think she looked anything special, but to her father she had been extraordinary. But weren’t parents just supposed to say that to their children? 

She shook off the thought and continued walking down the hallway. When she reached the kitchen, however, she found that the light was already on. A man’s voice talked softly on the radio, and though the thunder continued to rumble, it didn’t seem quite as loud. 

“Hi, Angela.” A bright young voice made Angela look at the kitchen counter, where her younger sister Gina sat, coloring something with a pencil in her little leather-bound notebook that she carried everywhere. “Let’s be exclusive. That’s my new word for the day. Do you like it?”

Angela smiled softly, running her hands through her sister’s soft black hair and tucking a strand behind her sister’s ear. “Love it, peanut.” 

“Could you not sleep either?” Angela asked. Though she was only six years old, her eyes shone with a wonder and intelligence far beyond her age. 

“Why didn’t you just come up to my room?” Angela asked, making her way towards the kitchen counter.

“Because I knew you’d be down.” Gina said matter-of-factly. When Gina said things like they were facts, it was hard to disagree with her. 

Instead, Angela turned her attention to the counter, where she saw a plate with a sandwich on it, made from brown bread, with turkey, cheese, and lettuce. “You made sandwiches.”

Gina nodded, smiling slightly. “And I’m boiling some milk for hot cocoa. But you should probably take the pot off the stove now. I know you don’t like when it gets a skin on top.” 

Angela removed the pot from the stove, taking off the lid to examine the contents. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw that the pot was filled almost to the brim with milk. “This is a lot of milk, Gina.” 

“It’s good to be prepared.” Gina said. “You never know who will stop by.”

Angela was about to say something else, but the voice on the radio stopped her. A woman’s voice cut over the man speaking. “_...and I’m Michelle Norris. Today marks the four-year anniversary of the disappearance of NASA scientist Doctor Evan Kleinman. Dr. Kleinman went missing just a week after publicly announcing that he could travel the universe with his mind._” 

“They’re talking about Daddy.” Gina’s voice suddenly sounded solemn, her brown eyes focused on the paper as if she could magically silence the woman on the radio if she focused hard enough. 

The woman on the radio continued, unaware of the two girls. “..._authorities note that there are still no leads in the case._” 

***

If sitting at home listening to her father being talked about on a radio was bad, going to school the next day was worse. Everyone had seen the broadcast, and everyone was looking at her. Angela knew what they were thinking. She could read their looks by now.

Some wore concerned expressions. _Poor Angela,_ they were thinking. _She hasn’t been right ever since her dad disappeared._

Others wore expressions of disdain. They were thinking something like, _That’s Angela Kleinman. She’s crazy, just like her deadbeat dad._

Someone giggled as she walked by- Angela turned to see the blonde head of Regina George, flanked by her cronies with a simpering smile on her face. “Hi, Angela.”

Angela furrowed her brow and ignored Regina, instead turning to her locker. However, before she could enter her combination, something caught her eye- a piece of pink construction paper with words written on it in red marker. With some inspection, Angela read the note. 

_Happy anniversary :) Wish you’d disappear, too _

Angela glowered as she stared at the way the _p_s on the note were written, their tails looping up slightly. She’d seen those _p_s before, on a poster on photosynthesis in science class that she’d been forcibly partnered up with Regina George for. However, when she turned to Regina, Regina only offered a patronizing smile and a wave before returning to the conversation with her cronies. 

The rest of the day wasn’t much better. She sat in the back of the classroom, never participating, only watching and listening. The teachers seemed to be extra sympathetic to her today, which only made Angela frustrated. She knew they were only trying to be nice, but none of them had cared about her father while he was still there. Why did they suddenly act like they’d cared about him all along? 

School, to Angela, felt like wearing a mask. An emotionless, blank mask that hid whatever she was thinking or feeling from everyone. She usually kept that mask on all throughout the day, with a few rare exceptions. But there were some cases when the mask came off. For example, recess that day. 

Other kids used recess to talk with their friends or play. But Angela didn’t like doing any of that. She didn’t have friends to talk to, and she didn’t enjoy the typical recess games. Instead, she preferred to sit on a stone bench with Gina, whose grade had recess the same time as Angela’s. Sometimes they talked, but most of the time they just sat in silence, Gina reading and Angela watching the other kids. That was the best thing about Gina- silence never felt awkward. Today, Gina wore her little blue sweater over a white dress, her hair pulled back into two braids, and she sat with a library copy of War and Peace on her lap. Angela smiled fondly when she remembered the conversation she and Gina had when Angela asked if she really liked the book.

_”It’s a little complicated, don’t you think?”_ Angela had asked.

Gina had put down her book with that soft smile she always wore. _”It’s not really complicated, Angela. It’s just long.”_ She had paused before continuing._”Personally, I enjoy long books much better than short ones. When there’s a longer book, there’s more story. I like books with a lot of story.”_

Angela had been confused. _”But books are stories.”_

Gina had shaken her head. _”No. Not all books have stories. Some just have words._” 

_”What’s the difference?_” Angela had asked.

_”The difference...”_ Gina had a musing look on her face. _”Stories are just words with a purpose.”_

A voice snapped Angela out of her thoughts- one of Gina’s teachers. She was speaking to Angela’s math teacher, in a hushed tone that she apparently thought neither Gina nor Angela could hear. “I mean, he’s been gone four years to the day. He’s probably just pretending to be in outer space, but he’s really hiding out in Tijuana.” 

Angela’s math teacher nodded. “I bet it involves a woman.” 

“Seriously, something so horrible had to have happened for him to just leave his family like that.” Gina’s teacher sighed. “And right after they adopted Gina, too.”

“They all seemed so happy.” Angela’s teacher said, “And Angela, she used to be so engaged, but now she’s a mess.”

Angela bit her lip, and Gina looked up from her book. Angela was used to hearing this sort of talk, but Gina wasn’t. 

“And Gina,” Gina’s teacher spoke, “she’s brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.” 

Angela’s teacher nodded. “But so odd.”

Gina’s teacher sighed. “I guess I wouldn’t be right in the head either if my dad ran away.” 

Gina stood up, placing her book down on the bench. Her little brown eyes narrowed and her nose scrunched up, her hands balled into fists at her side. Before Angela could stop her, she marched right up to the two teachers. “Shame on you for talking like that!” 

“Gina!” Gina’s teacher’s eyes widened, and Angela’s teacher looked up at Angela as if seeing if she’d heard, too. “I’m sorry, I...” 

Gina glared up at her teacher, looking furious even though she was dwarfed by the woman. “And I’m not odd, you are, because you think making up mean stories about people makes you feel better about yourself. Well it doesn’t, now, does it?” 

“Gina!” Gina’s teacher admonished, “We do not talk to teachers like that!” 

Gina continued. “And Angela might be a mess, but she has more potential in her pinky than you do in your whole body!”  
To Angela’s horror, Gina turned to her. “Angela, did you hear that? Angela! Over here! You may be a mess, but you have more potential than anyone here!” 

“Gina...” Angela’s voice trailed off, her face began to burn. She looked up to see Regina watching the scene unfold, laughing with her friends.

Gina continued, oblivious to the mocking. “Daddy was awkward and funny-looking when he was your age, and now, he’s amazing!”

Angela stood up as one of the teachers took Gina by the shoulder, silencing her. As the teacher marched Gina inside, Regina watched with a simpering smile. “Well, well, well. It looks like crazy runs in the family.” 

Angela’s head whirled around. She struggled to keep her voice calm. “What did you say?”

Regina smirked. “I see why your dad left.” 

White-hot fury overtook Angela’s whole body. She couldn’t hear anything except the pounding of blood in her ears, and her body moved almost as if it was on its own, without her mind even telling it to. She curled her hand into a fist and punched Regina as hard as she could in the face.

Which was how Angela ended up in the front office, with Principal Duke giving her a look that was a mixture of disappointment and frustration. 

“Regina’s parents are on the way.” Principal Duke clasped her hands together. “They’re worried for their daughter’s safety.” 

Angela looked down, twirling the jade pendant between her fingers. “Their daughter is mean.”

“You hit her in the face.” Principal Duke said severely, “You...” 

And then sighed. There was a long moment of silence before the principal continued. “Angela, you used to be a top student. But now, you’re... you’re aggressive. You’re hostile. You shut everybody out and then wonder why they don’t like you.” 

“I don’t wonder.” Angela said, “And I don’t care.” 

“Then that’s your problem.” Principal Duke sighed. 

“I don’t have a problem.” Angela stared down at the floor, her grip on the jade pendant tightening. 

“Angela...” Principal Duke put her hands down on her desk. “You cannot keep using your father’s disappearance as an excuse to act out. What do you think he would say about all this? If he walked into the door today, what would happen?”

“The world would make sense again.” Angela said frankly.

“Listen.” Principal Duke sighed. “I understand what you’re feeling, Angela. I didn’t have a father growing up either. And I know what you’re going through. But it’s been four years. Odds are, he’s not coming back.”

Angela didn’t say anything. Instead, she clenched her fists and stood up from the plastic chair, then made her way towards the door. She had to, otherwise she would fall apart. And she would not let them see her fall apart.

“I did not dismiss you, young lady.” Principal Duke stood up. “Angela.” 

Angela kept walking.

***

Later that night, Angela sat on her bed, drumming her fingers on the yellow quieted comforter with the multicolored flowers embroidered on it. After the day she’d had at school, she wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet for a second. Her room looked exactly the same as it had four years ago- the photos on the wall were the same, the comforter was the same, and the same white stuffed bunny lay on her pillow, its floppy ears dangling down lopsidedly. Sitting here, she could almost pretend everything was the same. 

But then her dad was in the doorway, his glasses pushed up the bridge of his nose, arms crossed, a look on his face that was purely _tired_. “I want you to write an apology note to Principal Duke.”

Angela nodded, picking at a loose thread on one of the embroidered flowers, but her dad wasn’t done. “And one to Regina.” 

Angela’s head jerked up. “Dad! She called Gina crazy!” 

“That’s no excuse.” Her father said. 

The words were out of Angela’s mouth before she even knew she was saying them. “Daddy always told me to stand up for what I believe in.” 

Angela knew she’d made a mistake when her dad looked at her, his eyes suddenly full of pain, biting his lip as if he were trying to keep from crying. “Don’t use your father like that. That is not fair.” 

However, her dad’s face softened when he looked at Angela, and she realized that she must have been crying. Sure enough, when she reached a hand to her cheek, she felt tears. Her dad sat down next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Hey. Hey, Angel. What’s wrong, really?” 

“He’s not coming back,” Angela choked out the words. “Is he?” 

Her dad tucked a curl behind her ear. “Don’t give up hope, Angel.” 

From somewhere in the house, Angela heard the sound of knocking on the door. That was unusual all by itself- it was raining _again_, who in their right mind would be outside? -but what was even more unnerving was when she heard the sound of the door opening and Gina’s voice saying, “I knew it was you! Come in!” 

Angela and her dad looked at each other, then stood up from the bed and ran down the hall. In the front room, Angela caught sight of a woman, a grown woman, with pale skin, caramel brown hair, and a dress that looked to be made of some flowing white material. 

“Oh my.” The woman laughed, her skin shimmering from the rain. “Talk about a dark and stormy night.”

“Are those Ms. MacNamara’s sheets?” Gina asked, tilting her head to one side.

The woman chuckled. “Maybe.” She turned her head, and her eyes widened when she saw Angela’s dad. “Oh. Well, aren’t you dazzling? You must be Jared.” 

“Yes, but...” Angela’s dad looked at the woman with wide eyes.

“Your house is so warm.” The woman looked around the living room with a smile. “You’ve done a positively wonderful job keeping the darkness out.” 

“Dad.” Angela spoke quietly, her hand moving towards a phone on the coffee table. “Dad, do you want me to call 911?” 

The woman’s smile faltered. “Well... almost all of the darkness.” She turned to Angela. “You must be Angela.”

“How do you...” Angela froze. “How do you know my name?”

“Because I told her.” Gina piped up. “You don’t need to be scared. She’s my friend.”

“Call me Zoe.” The woman stuck out her hand, but Angela’s father didn’t shake it. He still eyed her with a concerned expression. 

“What can I do for you, Zoe?” He asked.

“I caught her stealing sheets.” Gina said. “But she’s harmless.” 

“You’re six.” Angela whispered. “What do you know about harmless?”

“Have I ever been wrong?” Gina tilted her head to one side. 

“One of these days, you might be.” Angela said sharply.

“Oh, I highly doubt that.” Zoe said. “Gina is one of the greatest minds in recent history. She’s prodigious. But of course, we can’t take any credit for our talents. It’s how we use them that counts.” 

“Right.” Angela’s dad nodded, but didn’t look as if he agreed with Zoe. “The thing is, we don’t know you, and it’s late...”

Zoe’s eyes widened. “Is it?” She sighed. “Oh, I’m terrible with time. Marya usually handles that.”

Angela’s dad continued talking. “And my daughters need to go to bed, so if you don’t mind visiting some other time...”

Zoe nodded. “Oh, of course I will. But I simply must tell you one thing before I go. Jared, I want you to know that whatever happens, you and your husband achieved something truly extraordinary.” 

“What are you talking about?” Angela’s dad asked.

“Just that there really is such thing as a tesseract.”


	2. A Strange Encounter

“Never do that again.” Angela chastised Gina the next morning as they walked down the sidewalk. After last night, they’d gone to bed very quickly, but Angela hadn’t forgotten how it utterly shaken her dad had looked when that strange woman mentioned something called a tesseract. “Never let anyone in the house without our permission. And please stop talking to strangers.” 

Gina, with her hair tied back in its usual two braids, looked up at Angela. “I don’t talk to them. They talk to me.”

Angela stuck her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “That doesn’t mean you have to answer.”

“Now, that’s just bad manners, Angela.” Gina said.

Angela sighed. “Gina-“ 

Angela was cut off by the sound of a man calling out from the sidewalk. “Hey, Gina! _¿Cómo estás?_” 

Gina smiled. “_Bien. ¿Y tú?_”

“_Normalmente._” The man responded. 

“See. Told you.” Gina continued on with Angela hurrying after her. 

Angela sighed. “Yeah. Be yourself. Don’t be like me.” 

“What’s wrong with being like you?”   
Angela turned at the sound of an unfamiliar voice, finding a boy with dark skin wearing a nondescript grey tee-shirt and jeans standing on the sidewalk. Angela thought she recognized him, but she was unable to recall from where exactly. 

He gave Angela a small nod and gestured towards her left hand, which was beginning to bruise at the knuckles from when she’d punched Regina the day before. “You have a pretty good arm.” When Angela didn’t respond, the boy added, “Regina. Direct hit.”

Gina giggled and walked up to the boy. “Hi. I’m Gina. Angela’s sister. You’re Jake, aren’t you?” 

Jake chuckled. “That I am.”

Now Angela knew where she recognized him from. Jake was a grade above her in school, around fourteen. It made sense that they hadn’t talked before- Jake was fairly popular, while Angela was the exact opposite of that. 

“What are you doing out here?” Angela asked. 

Jake shrugged. “I don’t know. I was doing my homework, and then suddenly I got this feeling. Like I had to come here. Like, right here. Is that weird?”

Angela thought about it. “Maybe a little.”

Gina spoke up, her brown eyes locking with Jake’s. “The truth is, you were called here. You’re good at diplomacy.”

Angela shot her sister a puzzled look. “What do we need diplomacy for, Gina?”

Gina looked at Angela as if the answer was obvious. “The fact that you asked is exactly why we need it.” She turned to Jake. “So what do you say? Want to come with us?”

Jake shrugged again. “Sure. Why not?” 

Gina smiled, clapping her hands together earnestly. “Great. Let’s go meet Christine!”

To Angela’s confusion, Gina turned and sprinted off down the narrow gap between Jake’s front fence and the neighbors’, down a well-worn dirt path. But there was only one thing down that path...

With wide eyes, Angela shot off after her sister. It was too bad she wasn’t in P.E class- Coach would have been _very_ impressed by her speed.

“Gina!” She called. “No! No, Gina!”

She rounded the bend, coming to what lay at the end of a path- an old, decrepit cottage. The walls, which had once been painted a pale shade of blue, were now faded, and the roof had a very large hole with the remains of a tree that had toppled during a storm still stuck inside it. The entire building seemed to sag, like it was heaving an old, creaky sigh. Angela’s shoulders sagged when she found that her sister wasn’t anywhere to be seen and that the door to the old cottage was wide open. 

“Gina, do not go in there.” Angela called sharply despite her breathlessness. “That house is falling apart, you know that it’s off-limits.”

“She’s...” Jake took a deep breath, clearly winded as well. “She’s fearless, isn’t she?”

Angela sighed. “Unfortunately, yes.”

The two of them cautiously started up the old house’s front porch steps. Angela held her breath when the wood creaked ominously beneath her feet, and exhaled in relief when it held. Amidst the dim cottage interior illuminated only by the dusty beams of light coming in through the windows, Angela found her sister standing in the front parlor with her hands folded politely behind her back, as if she’d been waiting for them. 

“Gina!” Angela walked over to her sister, grabbing Gina’s hand and preparing to drag her out. “We can’t be in here, it’s not safe.” 

“What are you talking about?” Gina tilted her head to one side. “It’s practically the safest place in the universe.” 

Angela’s potential response was cut off by the sound of a tea kettle hissing and a gentle classical tune beginning to play. 

Jake’s eyes widened as he turned, pointing into what must have been the former living room of the cottage. “Look.” 

Angela followed Jake’s gaze, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw a woman sitting down on a dusty purple couch with a steaming pink teacup, wearing a strange purple and yellow dress that seemed to be made of different scraps of fabric, like some large patchwork quilt, with spectacles perched on her nose.

“Christine!” Gina smiled and broke free of Angela’s loosened grip, walking towards the strange woman. “It’s me, Gina.” 

Exchanging confused looks, Angela and Jake stepped into the room. The tree that had fallen all those years ago was still in the room, but its many wayward branches seemed to have been transformed into holders for various items, including a ring of measuring spoons, a tarnished silver mirror, a leather pouch that was open enough for Angela to see it was full of peppermint candies, and a purple paper fan. 

The woman, presumably Christine, smiled as Jake and Angela approached. She held out her hand for a handshake, which Jake obliged. As Jake shook the woman’s hand, she smiled and said, “Life without love... is like a tree without blossoms or fruit. Gibran, Lebanese.” 

Jake looked confused. “Jake. Uh, American.” 

“Christine prefers not to think for herself.” Gina said matter-of-factly.

“Gina!” Angela admonished. “That’s rude!” 

Gina shook her head. “No. She’s just evolved past language, so whenever she needs to think, she cheats and uses other people’s words.”

“It’s nice how she gives them credit.” Jake remarked, leading to a smile from Christine. 

Angela turned back to Christine and held out her hand. “I’m Angela.”

Christine smiled and shook Angela’s hand. “The wound is the place where the light enters you. Rumi, Persian.” With that, Christine let out a sigh and leaned back against the sofa, closing her eyes. 

Gina looked at Christine with an expression of sympathy. “Poor Christine. We tire her out.” 

“Tired?” Jake looked at Gina quizzically. 

“She’s still adjusting.” Gina explained. 

“Adjusting to what?” Angela asked.

“Sorry, you’re almost but not quite ready to find out.” Gina said, a small, teasing smile on her face.

“Gina...” Angela grabbed her sister’s arm, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Whatever she is, whatever that is, whatever all this is... I don’t like it.” 

“You’ll manage.” Gina turned and started towards the door, leaving Jake and Angela to give each other a look of confusion. “Come on, we should get going. Let’s let Christine rest. We’ll see her again very soon.” 

As Angela followed her sister out of the house, she took one last look at Christine. First that strange woman had appeared at the door last night, and now this? 

Things were shaping up to be very peculiar, indeed.


End file.
